Well, you asked for it

Thank you for the comments on Ribby. As promised, I have persuaded DH to take some action shots. You have to promise to ignore the silly faces I was pulling and the fact that my current haircut makes me look like a wazzock. Do we have an understanding? OK, then I'll begin.

The "I'll Never Make a Model" shot:



The back view:



This is how I'll probably wear it most of the time:



And finally, the "If I act like a twit can I go inside?" side view:



The full details are:

Pattern: Chic Knits Ribby Cardi
Size: 40"
Modifications: Made it an extra 1" longer, and the sleeves .5" longer
Gauge: 19 sts and 24 rows to 4". Got it bang on with the recommended needle sizes.
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool - 12.20 balls (but I could have done it in 12 if I hadn't had a false start on the back and wasted so much on swatching a couple of years' ago!)
Colour: Red Maple
Needle sizes: 4.5mm, 4.00 mm - Knitpicks Options
Length of time to knit: Just under 4 months. Disgraceful, but I'm easily distracted.
Would I make it again? Yes
Easy or hard: Easy, but making the ribs match on the arms when you sew it up and putting in the zipper needs a little concentration.

And that, I think is all I have to say about the Ribby. You might be sick of it, but I will enjoy the wearing.

Although my knitting time was curtailed this past week, partly because of finishing off Ribby and partly because I ended up putting in a lot of extra hours at work, I did still manage to finish the first front of my Long Cardi. Interestingly enough, my tension appears to have tightened up. Not so as you'd notice and I'm sure it'll all come out in the wash (literally), but now I'm getting gauge.
I've always professed to enjoy challenging, technical knitting. Isn't it funny how I'm deriving so much satisfaction out of such a simple, stocking stitch project?

Tomorrow is my birthday, and DH and I have a week off work. We hit the road early in the morning and will be biking to Folkestone to catch the train to France for a few days. We're going as part of a group of 6 friends, and have our itinerary planned with military precision (watch it all go pear-shaped!) so it should be a lot of fun. Cross your fingers for good weather, and that I cope with riding on the wrong side of the road. At least we're in a hotel. I so do not do camping.

P.S. Tracy, for shame! I've been very busy ironing Dave's underpants and socks like every good wife should .....